When the warm days and nights start to come around so do our lovely friends that we enjoy so much here in Wichita, Kansas. Mosquitos in general are a royal pain to almost everyone. Today, we are going to be talking about the House Mosquitos, their appearance, behavior, diet, and signs of infestation.
House mosquitos, just like all the rest of mosquitos, have one pair of scaled wings with a pair of halters. They are equipped with slender bodies and long legs. Size depends on the species of mosquitos you are dealing with. However, most are smaller than 15 mm in length and weigh less than 2.5 mg.
We usually say, “I have been bitten by a mosquito”, but this is not completely true. Mosquitoes do not bite. Female mosquitoes feed on plant nectar and blood. They need the protein to reproduce. To get to the blood, they pierce our skin with their “proboscis” and suck our blood. Male mosquitoes feed exclusively on plant nectars. Mosquitoes are busiest at night and will fly up to 14 miles for a blood meal. They hunt for food by detecting body heat and Carbon Dioxide, the gas we breathe out. In their immature stages of life, they are located in water that is standing still or stagnant. This is where the larva feed on a variety of materials, depending on the species. A common consumption is the organic flotsam and tiny aquatic organisms that are within the water. Again, there are some species that are predatory and will eat their own kind. When dusk comes around this is when the mosquitos comes out to play. They also become very active when there is sufficient cloud cover or dark shady areas. Mosquitos do not like to be active during the sunshine, this is because they can actually desiccate and die.
To make sure you are dealing with a mosquito and not a fly here are some tips. Mosquitos have long legs and a proboscis or “nose” that female mosquitoes use to bite people and draw blood. Mosquitos are pests that can spread disease. One common one is the West Nile Virus, others consist of dengue and malaria. More often than not they are just here to ruin family and friend gatherings that we all want to be enjoyable.
If you are trying to have fun family and friend gatherings and these pests are becoming the life of the party call your friends at All Star Pest Control. We will make sure there won’t be any party crashers. Summer nights are approaching, make sure you are able to enjoy them. Our trained professionals can make sure the infestations are taken care of. At All Star Pest Control, we make sure our customers come first, so give us a call today.
